Events, trails, shops, restaurants, museums. All an easy drive away. In your inbox, every Thursday.
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For the first time in two months, our day trip suggestion does not require insect repellent. Just when you were finally getting used to the sweet smell of DEET in the morning...
Day Tripping - Aquilla + Bloomfield, Missouri
Some upcoming weekend when it's too humid to hike, trade the trails for some small-town ramblin' in the A/C. Check out Aquilla & Bloomfield, MO., where you can spend a whole day indulging your hot granny hobbies: shopping, gardening, flea market pickin', and strolling around with your arms crossed in a museum, reading all the displays.
Our itinerary - Aquilla & Crowley's Ridge:
The famous Shady Oak Market sandwiches - It's a country store (and local favorite) with yummy deli sammies. Browse baked goods, home decor, hardwood/rustic furniture & lawn furniture, groceries, gifts, and toys. But the star is the deli that doubles as a diner, serving fresh, made-to-order sandwiches. Just go read the reviews. The experience feels a lot like being let in on a Se/MO secret.
Daydreaming at Yoder's Garden Shop - It felt a little like a mini botanical garden where every thing's for sale: Huge potted flowers, veggies, cacti, fruit, hanging flower baskets, trees, shrubs, etc. Instant dopamine hit. Once again, I'll let the Google reviews say it all.
Cruising through Crowley's Ridge Conservation Area- So, I didn't lie about not needing bug spray. You don't have to get out of your car. Enjoy the gravel road cruise through the conservation area and keep an eye out for wildlife. We stopped at Pond 2 to be nosy and see if the folks fishing from the bank and kayaks were catching anything.
Pond 2 at Crowley's Ridge Conservation Area
Keep the party going - Bloomfield:
If you're traveling without a toddler in charge (unlike us), you might still have some metaphorical gas in the tank to keep the local road trip rolling (unlike us).
There are two more interesting destinations right down the road from Aquilla in Bloomfield that we still need to check out:
Go on Saturday! Everything is closed on Sunday. The Stars and Stripes Museum closes at 2pm on Saturdays, so if that's part of your agenda, maybe start your trip there.
This Week at Mesta Meadows
Last week, we introduced you to 10 Great Pyrenees puppies. This week, they're technically employed.
The 7 girls and 3 boys are now 4 weeks old and beginning their training as future livestock guardian dogs. One day, they'll be patrolling pastures, protecting sheep, and karate chopping coyotes. At the moment, however, they're mostly wrestling, napping, and looking cute in the petting zoo.
The pups are carrying on a Mesta Meadows tradition. Delilah, one of Mesta Meadows' original guardian dogs will be featured in a new children's book by Southeast Missouri author Carin Thamke, from Thamke Tales, scheduled to release this fall.
In the meantime, when you're at the farm store on a Saturday or Sunday, tell them Backroad Weekly sent you for a farm tour and that you heard there are puppies on the premises.
Spotted on a power line off county road 227 leaving Crowley's Ridge Conservation Area.
Started Right Here
Did you know theStars and Stripes newspaper (the same publication still serving U.S. military personnel around the world today) traces its origins to Bloomfield, Missouri? In November 1861, ten Union soldiers requisitioned a local printing press and produced the first edition while serving under General Ulysses S. Grant's command. More than 160 years later, Stars and Stripes is still being published for service members worldwide. The newspaper was in the news just yesterday.
This featured event is brought to you by VisitCape. There is too much going on in Cape for me to list this week, so check out their events calendar.
This Weekend’s Happenings
Fri, June 05
Bluff's All-American Weekend, Poplar Bluff, MO - Family-friendly demolition derby, monster truck rides, live music, and southeast Missouri's first ever drone show featuring 200 drones lighting up the sky! Gates open at 5:00 PM.
Country Days,Farmington, MO - Downtown Farmington's annual festival kicks off Friday with a parade, carnival rides, a marketplace and food vendors. Check out the Country Days Saloon (beer garden), live music, and a bring a bike for the moonlight bike ride.
Downtown Sikeston Summer Concert Series, Sikeston, MO. - You're starting to see how these summer concerts work: Bring a lawn chair, blanket, and snacks. Concessions will be available on site as well. 6-8pm. Free.
Mix Tape Music Bingo, Scott City, MO - A night of "music, fun, and bingo at the Riverhouse! Test your music knowledge and win some prizes." 6:30-8:30pm. Registration required. Maybe you know the lyrics, but do you know the song title?
SINGO - a Musical Spin on Bingo,Cape Girardeau, MO - "A musical spin on traditional bingo. Instead of letters & numbers, listen to your favorite songs & mark the song title on your card!". Free. 7-9pm.
Summer Craft Sale, Cape Girardeau, MO - Stock up on crafting supplies for your summer project. 10am-4pm at the Marquette Tower 4th Floor Suite 426.
Shaun Munday, Cape Girardeau, MO - Soul, blues, and R&B at Scout Hall. A Berklee grad, Shaun studied and performed with folks like John Mayer, and has shared the stage with blues legends, Supremes, and Wailers. General admission $15-18. All ages. 8 p.m., doors at 7.
Stained Glass Bumblebee, Dexter, MO - Beginner-friendly stained-glass workshop. You’ll create a bumblebee featuring delicate pressed flower wings. $60. 6pm.
Make Wild Bird Seed Cakes, Jackson, MO - Make bird seed cakes to attract birds to your yard. For all ages. Riverside Regional Library. 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Trash Blast | Dutchman Lake, Dutchman Lake Boat Ramp, Southern Illinois - "Small teams of volunteers collect litter, finding items as large as mattresses to micro trash. No matter what we find, we try to remove it to help restore the area to its natural state." 1-3pm
Sat, June 06
Bluff's All-American Weekend, Poplar Bluff, MO - All-day family activities including the Dinosaur Bash, classic car Cruise-In, beauty pageant, water slides, dunking booth, bounce house, art exhibits, games, craft/food vendors, costume characters, hot dog eating contest, apple pie baking contest, and live entertainment.
Country Days, Farmington, MO. - The festival continues with a car show, tractor show, quilt show, Jeep show, medieval knight fights, line dancing, carnival rides, food vendors, live entertainment, and more in Downtown Farmington.
Arcadia Valley Games, Ironton, MO. - Choose your own outdoor adventure with a trail race, cross-country bike race, kayak race, community bike ride, scavenger hunt, open kayaking, and more. There will also be a fishing contest (no license required), a bike raffle, skills park, concessions, and activities for all ages and skill levels. Free to attend. Pre-registration is encouraged. 7am-5pm at Shepherd Mountain Lake Park
Cape Folk Fest,Cape Girardeau, MO - "This event celebrates folk music in a regional context, with modern-day folk musicians. In addition to musical performances from Missourado, the Mel Pupillo Trio, and Swamp Boys, Folk Fest 26 features "History on Tap," or short talks by historians." Free to attend.
Puppy Yoga, Cape Girardeau, MO - "A beginner-friendly yoga class surrounded by adoptable puppies. All proceeds go directly to support their care while they wait for forever homes. 1pm. All ages welcome."
All-Request Piano Show with Joy Brooker, Cape Girardeau, MO - Requests, singalongs, piano, and a crowd that gets louder as the night goes on. 8:30pm-10:30pm. 21+. No cover.
Garden Tractor Pull, Cape Girardeau, MO - Take your lawn chair! Food and beer stands will be open. The Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Pull knows how to party. Pull starts at 11am.
Strawberry Festival, Kimmswick, MO - It's time for Kimmswick's famous annual Strawberry Festival with hundreds of booths, food, live music, and a ton of strawberries! 10am-5pm.
Birds & Blossom's Festival, Eminence, MO - The main event is the live bird show at the amphitheater at 10 a.m., after, visitors can browse a variety of booths related to native plants and wildlife and participate in bird-related games, crafts and activities. 10am-2pm. Free.
Summer Fun Day at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site,Burfordville, MO - "Celebrate the beginning of the summer with self-guided mill tours, food vendors, a bubble station, bounce houses, and a variety of games." Free! (except for the bounce house). 10am-4pm
June Downtown Perryville Cruise In, Perryville, MO - "Stroll through a great collection of classic cars, enjoy the charm of the historic downtown, take in the live music, and make stops at local shops and restaurants along the way." 5-9pm
River Hills Annual Tractor Pull, Perryville, MO - Antique tractors, farm stock competitors, and open-class pullers put their machines to the test at the East Perry Fairgrounds in Altenburg. Pulls start at 11 a.m. Food and drinks will be available.
Cathedral Cave Off-trail Tour, Leasburg, MO - This guided adventure takes participants beyond the paved pathways and into the wild sections of Cathedral Cave. Expect crawling, climbing, mud, and four to five hours underground while learning about the cave's geology, biology, and history. Ages 13 and up. Registration required. Cost is $75 for adults and $55 for youth. Space is limited to 15 participants. Call 573-522-3760 to register.
Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher, IL - One of the Midwest's largest living history events returns for its 56th year with military drills, black powder shooting competitions, fife and drum corps performances, traditional crafts, traders, cannon demonstrations, and 18th-century encampments. There will be period music, dancing, and an evening community dance inside the fort. Free admission; parking is $10 per vehicle. 10am-5pm
National Trails Day Cleanup, Lake Between the Lakes, KY - Celebrate National Trails Day by helping clean up one of the region's most popular outdoor destinations. Trash bags, gloves, snacks, and drinks will be provided.
Sun, June 07
Antique Tractor Pull, Cape Girardeau, MO - Take your lawn chair! Food and beer stands will be open. Par-tay. Pull starts at 11am.
Strawberry Festival, Kimmswick, MO - Day 2 of Kimmswick's famous annual Strawberry Festival. We once wrote about why this tiny historic town is a ton of fun to see.
Tours at the Jackson Oliver House Museum, Jackson, MO - "Tour the beautiful Jackson Oliver House Museum in historic Uptown Jackson. See how daily life was lived in the early 1800s in Jackson. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids. 1-4pm."
Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, Prairie du Roche, IL - Take a trip back to the French colonial era with military demonstrations, cannon fire, historic interpreters, period music, and traditional crafts. Sunday's schedule includes an 18th-century fashion show, a mock battle, Creole and French folk music performances, and an opportunity to explore one of the best-preserved French forts in North America. Free admission; parking is $10 per vehicle. 10am-3pm.
Plan Ahead - The Fun You Gotta Register to Have
Archery for Everyone, Cape Girardeau, MO - The Cape Nature Center is hosting a beginner-friendly chance to test your skills and learn proper archery technique with help from staff. Tuesday, June 9. 10am-12pm. Free.
Historic Fishing, Cape Girardeau, MO - Learn how people caught fish before bass boats and fish finders. Then, try it yourself. Ages 10+. Wednesday, June 10. 5:30pm-7pm. Free.
Squirrel Hunting 101, Cape Girardeau, MO - Curious about squirrel hunting but have absolutely no clue where to begin? The Cape Nature Center is hosting a beginner-friendly intro covering the basics of small game hunting. Thursday, June 11. 5:30pm-7pm. Ages 8+. Round out your apocalypse prep.
Birds & Brew, Puxico, MO - Coffee and birding team up at Mingo. Take a relaxed 1-mile walk to look for summer birds. Bring binoculars or borrow a pair. Saturday, June 13. 7am-10am. Free. Registration required.
Tour de Corn, East Prairie, MO - One of the flattest, friendliest, and paved-iest rides around returns with 15-, 30-, 63-, and 100-mile routes through the Bootheel. The hometown support and rest stops are legendary. June 27. Ride starts 7:30am.
Klaus Park Klash Mountain Bike Race, Jackson, MO - From youth to adults, nearly 100 riders from 4-5 states gather to take on laps around a 5-mile course at Klaus Park in Jackson for awards and cash prizes. This is a major fundraiser for our youth mountain bike team, so if you want to see locals ride MTB in the Olympics someday, spread the frickin' word, sign up, and ride (or just donate). June 28.
Strawberry Moon Paddle, Ullin, IL - Cache Bayou Outfitters is hosting another guided full moon paddle through the cypress swamp of the Cache River Wetlands - this time under June's Strawberry Moon. Saturday, June 28. $65 adults, $25 kids.
For each event, you’ll find more info at the link. *Because these events are upcoming, they have not been vetted. That would require a time machine, and we don't have the funds. Party at your own discretion.
What area does Backroad Weekly cover?
We use Cape Girardeau as our home base and cover about a 2.5-hour-drive radius.
The goal is to provide Southeast Missourians with day trips. To help you get out of the house without doing an overnight. You can do an overnight staycation. Get it, girl. But you don't have to, because we strive for day trip doable. That often includes areas that are outside (but nearby) Se/MO "borders", like parts of the Ozarks, the Shawnee Forest, Western Kentucky, etc. Heck, we might even do St. Louis and Memphis if the destination or activity matches our outdoor interests. Memphis River Expeditions, I've got my eye on you.
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